Thomas Massie loses Kentucky House primary to Trump-backed Republican challenger
Ed Gallrein has won the Republican nomination for Kentucky’s fourth congressional District, beating incumbent Thomas Massie. Trump-backed Gallrein’s victory comes as Kentucky voters have also nominated Trump-endorsed Andy Barr in his race to fill the seat Mitch McConnell will vacate when he retires next year.
Here’s my colleague David Smith with more on Gallrein’s victory:
Donald Trump displayed his supremacy over the Republican party on Tuesday when voters in northern Kentucky rejected the maverick congressman Thomas Massie in favour of the US president’s hand-picked challenger.
Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy Seal and farmer who was recruited into the race by Trump, defeated the seven-term incumbent in a primary election in Kentucky’s fourth congressional district in what the president’s allies framed as a test of whether dissent could still exist inside today’s Republican party.
The election took place as voters in five other states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho – went to the polls on Tuesday, to decide their nominees for the November general election in what was the biggest primary night of the year so far. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general running for Senate, in a primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn, infuriating some in his party.
In Kentucky, Massie now joins the ranks of Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and other elected Republicans who were either ousted or decided to retire because of their party’s capitulation to Trump.
Key events
As polls close in Alabama and Pennsylvania, here’s a reminder from my colleague Chris Stein of the races we’re watching in both states:
Alabama
After the supreme court’s ruling last month winnowing the Voting Rights Act and allowing states to eliminate majority-Black congressional districts, Alabama’s Republican leaders quickly moved to implement a new congressional map that is expected to cost Democrats a seat in the House of Representatives. That required rearranging its primary schedule for House districts, and thus voters on Tuesday will nominate candidates for only three of Alabama’s seven House districts, with primaries for the rest set for August.
The state is heavily Republican, and the most closely watched race is the gubernatorial election to replace Kay Ivey, who is term-limited. US senator Tommy Tuberville is the frontrunner in the Republican primary, while former senator Doug Jones is expected to take the Democratic nomination. Congressman Barry Moore is the leading Republican to replace Tuberville in the Senate, but faces six other candidates in the primary. Trump has endorsed Tuberville and Moore.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania looms larges in both parties’ aspirations for the midterm elections, with Democrats hoping to retake two swing House districts that they lost in 2024, and oust Republicans from two others.
Democratic primary voters in the seventh congressional district around Allentown will choose between firefighters’ union leader Bob Brooks, who has the support of the party’s establishment; Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor; Lamont McClure, a former county executive; and Carol Obando-Derstine, a former aide to US senator Bob Casey. The winner will take on the Republican congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who won his seat from a Democrat two years ago.
In the eighth congressional district in the state’s north-eastern corner, the mayor of Scranton, Paige Cognetti, faces no major challengers in her bid to oust Republican Rob Bresnahan Jr, who also flipped a Democratic-held seat in 2024.
In the Harrisburg-centered 10th district, county commissioner Justin Douglas is vying for the Democratic nomination against former broadcast anchor Janelle Stelson to take on incumbent Republican congressman Scott Perry.
Democrats also hope to oust moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick from the first district in suburban Philadelphia, and primary voters will weigh in on whether county commissioner Bob Harvie or former congressional science adviser Lucia Simonelli is a better bet.
And while there’s no doubt a Democrat will represent the third congressional district in Philadelphia, voters will first have to choose from three ideologically distinct candidates to replace retiring representative Dwight Evans.
Thomas Massie loses Kentucky House primary to Trump-backed Republican challenger
Ed Gallrein has won the Republican nomination for Kentucky’s fourth congressional District, beating incumbent Thomas Massie. Trump-backed Gallrein’s victory comes as Kentucky voters have also nominated Trump-endorsed Andy Barr in his race to fill the seat Mitch McConnell will vacate when he retires next year.
Here’s my colleague David Smith with more on Gallrein’s victory:
Donald Trump displayed his supremacy over the Republican party on Tuesday when voters in northern Kentucky rejected the maverick congressman Thomas Massie in favour of the US president’s hand-picked challenger.
Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy Seal and farmer who was recruited into the race by Trump, defeated the seven-term incumbent in a primary election in Kentucky’s fourth congressional district in what the president’s allies framed as a test of whether dissent could still exist inside today’s Republican party.
The election took place as voters in five other states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho – went to the polls on Tuesday, to decide their nominees for the November general election in what was the biggest primary night of the year so far. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general running for Senate, in a primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn, infuriating some in his party.
In Kentucky, Massie now joins the ranks of Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and other elected Republicans who were either ousted or decided to retire because of their party’s capitulation to Trump.
Addressing lawmakers at a congressional picnic today, Donald Trump echoed remarks he made yesterday at a healthcare affordability event saying preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was worth shaking up the US economy.
During a 20-minute address, the president also applauded the “Fostering the Future Act” from first lady Melania Trump, and her recent movie Melania; touted an upcoming UFC match planned to take place this summer on the White House’s South Lawn; and echoed his claims that he lost the 2020 election because it “was rigged”.
Senator Bill Cassidy has shared a statement on his decision to side with Democrats in calling for a war powers resolution that could end the war in Iran.
“While I support the administration’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark on Operation Epic Fury,” Cassidy said in a social media post. “In Louisiana, I’ve heard from people, including President Trump’s supporters, who are concerned about this war. Until the administration provides clarity, no congressional authorization or extension can be justified.”
Andy Barr wins Kentucky Republican primary for retiring Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat
Andy Barr has won the Republican nomination to fill the seat longtime Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell will vacate when he retires in January.
Currently serving as one of the state’s congressmembers, Barr was endorsed by Donald Trump and is expected to win the general election this November.
As most polling locations in Georgia close at 7pm local time, the secretary of state’s office says 11 polling places will remain open late due to issues with the electronic poll pads used to check in voters.
The poll sites in Atlanta’s suburbs will remain open between six minutes and one hour later than scheduled, according to a judge’s order. Another polling location north of Atlanta may remain open several hours longer, pending a judge’s order, after the poll site was closed due to a “law enforcement issue”, according to deputy secretary of state Matt Tyser.
With polls about to close in Georgia, and across the rest of Kentucky, here’s a reminder from my colleague Chris Stein of the races we’re watching in both states:
Kentucky
The most closely watched race in this deep-red state will be the primary of the Republican congressman Thomas Massie, who has broken with Trump on key issues in his second term and led the charge to release investigative files related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In the latest instance of the president retaliating against lawmakers who challenge his authority, Trump has backed retired US Navy Seal Ed Gallrein in the contest to unseat Massie from the northern Kentucky seat he has held since 2012, leading to the most expensive House primary in history.
Republican voters in Kentucky will also choose their candidate to replace Mitch McConnell, the former Senate GOP leader who is retiring. The frontrunners to succeed McConnell are congressman Andy Barr and former state attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron. Among Democrats, Charles Booker and Amy McGrath, who lost Senate races in the state in 2022 and 2020, respectively, are vying for their party’s nomination once again.
Georgia
Republican voters will select their candidate to face off against the incumbent Democratic senator Jon Ossoff, who is seeking a second term representing a state Trump won two years ago. Three in the GOP are seen as frontrunners: Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, both congressmen, and Derek Dooley, a former football coach at the University of Tennessee. The outgoing Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has endorsed Dooley, but the president has not weighed in on the primary.
Georgia voters from both parties will also select candidates to replace Kemp as governor in a state that may play a major role in deciding the 2028 presidential election. Among the Republican candidates is Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state who defied Trump’s efforts to meddle in the 2020 election, attorney general Chris Carr, healthcare executive Rick Jackson and lieutenant governor Burt Jones, who has Trump’s endorsement. Democratic frontrunners include the former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Geoff Duncan, a former Republican who served as lieutenant governor, state representative Derrick Jackson, former state senator Jason Esteves and former county CEO and state representative Mike Thurmond.
Pentagon to reduce number of brigade combat teams assigned to Europe from four to three
The Pentagon will reduce the number of brigade combat teams assigned to Europe from four to three, according to a social media post from a defense department spokesperson.
“This decision was the result of a comprehensive, multilayered process focused on US force posture in Europe,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. “This analysis is designed to advance President Trump’s America First agenda in Europe and other theaters, including by incentivizing and enabling our Nato allies to take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense.”
Parnell added that the decision “is resulting in a temporary delay of the deployment of US forces to Poland”, which he called “a model US ally”. He said the Polish deputy prime minister had been briefed on the decision, and praised Poland for showing “both the ability and resolve to defend itself”, adding that “other Nato allies should follow suit”.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration has increasingly criticized Nato allies for “ripping off” the US by failing to spend adequately on their defence budgets and as the president says he is “absolutely without question” considering withdrawing from Nato.
The text of the two executive orders Donald Trump signed today is now available on the White House website.
The first order, titled “Restoring Integrity to America’s Financial System”, focuses on the alleged financial risks “posed by the extension of credit or financial services to the inadmissible and removable alien population”. The order directs the treasury secretary to issue an advisory to financial institutions listing “red flags” associated with “non-work authorized populations”.
The second order, titled “Integrating Financial Technology Innovation into Regulatory Frameworks”, is focused on removing “overly burdensome and fragmented regulations and supervisory practices that form barriers to entry and primarily benefit incumbent financial services firms”. The order directs the Federal Reserve Board to allow financial technology companies access to Fed Reserve services.
Polls have begun to close in Kentucky, where voting is spread between the eastern and central time zones. Voters there will decide who will fill Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat, as the longtime GOP senator retires, and whether congressman Thomas Massie will keep his seat in the House, after Donald Trump backed his opponent.
The Guardian follows the Associated Press in calling an election. We’ll bring you the results from Kentucky’s primary election as the AP calls the races.
Senate votes to debate war powers resolution that could end war in Iran
The Senate has voted to debate a war powers resolution that could end the war in Iran after Republican senator Bill Cassidy changed his vote to side with Democrats. Cassidy’s change of tune comes just days after he lost his primary election to a competitor Donald Trump endorsed. Cassidy lost the president’s support after he voted in favor of Trump’s conviction after the January 6 insurrection.
Since the war in Iran began in February, a growing number of Republicans have begun siding with Democrats to call for a war powers resolution. During today’s vote, Cassidy was joined by fellow Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Donald Trump has signed two executive orders related to financial regulations, the White House says. The first is aimed at preventing illicit financial activity and the second intends to streamline regulations for financial technology firms.
The White House did not release any additional details, but Semafor reports that the orders are “aimed at insulating the US’ financial system from undocumented immigrants and expanding fintech firms’ access to the Federal Reserve’s payment rails”, citing a White House official.
We’ll share more information when the text of the executive orders becomes available.
Instead of the usual appearance by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, reporters heard remarks today from JD Vance. The vice-president’s appearance paralleled a similiar address from secretary of state Marco Rubio two weeks ago.
The two men are thought to be the top contenders for the 2028 presidential ticket, but Vance discouraged speculation about a future run for office during his remarks today. “I’m not a potential future candidate, I’m a vice president,” he said. “And I really like my job, and I’m going to try to do as good of a job as I can.”
The IRS will not pursue back taxes from Donald Trump, his family or his companies under an addendum to the settlement agreement that created a loosely controlled $1.776bn fund to compensate allies of the president.
My colleague Sam Levine has more:
The justice department quietly added a provision barring the IRS from auditing Donald Trump’s tax returns on Tuesday, amending a widely criticized agreement that creates a secretive and loosely controlled $1.776bn fund to compensate allies of the president.
The addendum, signed by Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, says the government is “forever barred” and “precluded” from examining the tax returns of Trump, his family, his company and “related companies”. The agreement applies to anything filed before the agreement was reached. It was posted on the justice department website on Tuesday morning, a day after the department announced creation of the fund.
The inclusion only adds to mounting scrutiny of the wider agreement reached on Tuesday. The arrangement was announced after Trump said he was dropping a $10bn lawsuit against the IRS and other specious claims against the government in exchange for creating the compensation fund. IRS officials recommended fighting Trump’s lawsuit, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, but the agency decided to settle it anyway, raising further questions about improper interference.
The fund will be run by five people – all subject to be fired at will by the president – and does not have to make public whom it awarded money to or its reason for doing so.
The United States will shrink the pool of military forces available to assist Nato allies in a crisis, Reuters reports, citing three sources familiar with the matter. The US is expected to share the news with its European allies on Friday.
Under the Nato Force Model, Nato member countries select a number of forces that would be available to assist allies if called upon. Although the exact number of US forces currently available under the compact is not known, “the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, said the sources, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans”, Reuters reported.
The Nato alliance has been under increased strain since Donald Trump returned to the presidency. In April, Trump said he was “absolutely without question” considering withdrawing from Nato because of the European allies’ failure to take part in the US-Israeli war on Iran and has accused other member countries of “ripping off” the US by failing to spend adequately on their defence budgets.
Here’s more of our past coverage of the security alliance:
Here’s a recap of the day so far:
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Voters headed to the polls in primaries across six states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, Alabama and Kentucky – today, with the contest in Kentucky seen as a test of Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican party. Trump continued his tirade against the state’s congressman Thomas Massie even on primary day as he looks to remove him from office.
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Trump endorsed hardliner Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in a critical Texas US Senate race runoff. This has boosted the Texas attorney general’s chances of securing his party’s nomination for the Texas race in November’s midterm elections.
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Trump told reporters he is giving Iran until the weekend or early next week, to make a deal to end the war. He said that yesterday he was within an hour of deciding to resume bombing Iran but that his negotiators had reported progress in talks.
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When JD Vance was asked questions about the $1.8bn slush fund being available to people who attacked the Capitol building and police officers on January 6, he defended the fund, said anybody could apply for it and said claims would be investigated on a case-by-case basis.
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Todd Blanche, the acting US attorney general, told lawmakers on Tuesday that he would not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex-trafficking crimes. He also defended the $1.8bn slush fund citing transparency for beneficiaries.
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Police are investigating a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego as a hate crime, after three people were killed and two suspects, also dead, were identified near the scene. Democratic leaders from across the country issued statements in the wake of the shooting calling out Islamophobia and advocating for stricter gun laws.
Chris Stein
In Pennsylvania today, Democratic primary voters in the seventh congressional district around Allentown will choose between firefighters’ union leader Bob Brooks, who has the support of the party’s establishment; Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor; Lamont McClure, a former county executive; and Carol Obando-Derstine, a former aide to US senator Bob Casey.
The winner will take on the Republican congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who won his seat from a Democrat two years ago.
In the eighth congressional district in the state’s north-eastern corner, the mayor of Scranton, Paige Cognetti, faces no major challengers in her bid to oust Republican Rob Bresnahan Jr, who also flipped a Democratic-held seat in 2024.
In the Harrisburg-centered 10th district, county commissioner Justin Douglas is vying for the Democratic nomination against former broadcast anchor Janelle Stelson to take on incumbent Republican congressman Scott Perry.
Democrats also hope to oust moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick from the first district in suburban Philadelphia, and primary voters will weigh in on whether county commissioner Bob Harvie or former congressional science adviser Lucia Simonelli is a better bet.
And while there’s no doubt a Democrat will represent the third congressional district in Philadelphia, voters will first have to choose from three ideologically distinct candidates to replace retiring representative Dwight Evans.
When JD Vance was faced with questions about the $1.8bn slush fund being eligible for people who attacked the Capitol building and police officers on January 6, he said anybody could apply for the fund.
“Republicans can apply for it. Democrats can apply for it,” he said. “The president has pardoned a number of Democrats who he felt were actually subject to this lawfare. I mean, if Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.”
Vance said people who would receive this money were those who had been prosecuted completely disproportionately to any crime they’d ever committed, citing the example of Tina Peters.
Peters is a Colorado election clerk, who had her prison sentence commuted on Friday by Colorado’s governor, Jared Polis, after months of pressure from Trump and other conservatives. She was the county clerk in western Colorado’s Mesa county in 2020 when she allowed an unauthorized person to use a security badge and access her county’s voting equipment.
Vance said the claims for the fund would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
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